Michel Roux Jr. – Pears in Red Wine

24.11.2018

Recipe courtesy of A Life in the Kitchen cookbook by Weidenfield and Nicolson. Photographer: Cristian Barnett

Catch Michel Roux Jr. on selected dates at BBC Good Food Show Winter when the show returns the NEC Birmingham from Thursday 29th November to Sunday 2nd December. For information and tickets, please visit: www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com/birmingham-winter

Ingredients

Instructions

6 pears, still a little firm

1 bottle red wine (Pinot or Gamay)

200g Caster sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 vanilla pod, split

6 black peppercorns

1 strip of orange peel

4 tablespoons crème de cassis

Peel and core the pears, taking care to leave the stalks in place. Put all the remaining ingredients, except the crème de cassis, into a pan and bring to the boil. Add the pears, make sure they are submerged and cover with greaseproof paper. Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender, then leave to cool. Add the crème de cassis and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

If you want a thicker syrup, decant the liquid and boil until it is reduced by a third. Serve with crème fraîche. If you like, decorate the pears with thin strips of orange peel cooked in sugar syrup.